The Fate of Death
by Jewel of Hell
Summary: Shinigami, one of the five Divine deities, has been feared and reviled by mortals and Lesser deities alike. When judgment is called on him, he is banished to Earth, imprisoned, immortal with no powers. The remaining four decide to do something . . .
1. Chapter 1

**Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Drama

**Pairings:** 1x2 main, other

**Disclaimer:** Don't own nothin' but these words

**Warnings:** Yaoi, lemon, language, gross misuse of powers, reincarnation, evil Duo, cold Heero, Relena bashing (sort of), cruelty

**Author's note:** This is sort of based on Saiyuki (very, very loosely). I don't have a set-in-stone plot for this story, so if you have any suggestions or requests, I'm game. This is sort of a prologue, hope it's not too boring. On the side, another story is just what I didn't need. This is an idea that would not leave me alone, so I'm posting it now. Though I'm not always the best about updating, I really am trying to get better. Things are slowing down for me (although my grandma was in the hospital for almost a week, what a nightmare). So I will be able to update my stories better. I'm trying to finish "The King and the Shaman," which won't take me too much longer. Anyway, here's the first chapter, let me know what you think!

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**The Gathering**

He was called Shinigami, though that was more a title than a name. It meant 'god of death,' perfectly fitting since that's what he was. He was one of the five Divine Deities, the five most powerful gods in the heavens.

Hiiroshino, God of Earth, Light, and Life.

Toroshondre, God of Beasts, the Hunt, and Secrets.

Quanatrios, God of Air, Moon, and Truth.

Warosche, God of Fire, the Sun, and War.

And Shinigami, God of Water, Darkness, and Death.

In the great halls of Athros, Realm of the Gods, the Lesser Deities gathered. Headed by Arriesce, Goddess of the Rainbow and Maidenhood, they sat in a circle.

"Thank you for coming," she began. "I know this could not have been an easy decision for you. But the necessity has finally superceded our personal comfort."

Each gathered deity looked extremely uncomfortable. Some looked downright terrified. Arriesce was barely better herself, feeling like she might lose the contents of her stomach. Ludicrous, since gods did not get sick. It was an altogether unpleasant sensation, and she could not wait until this was over and behind her.

"I'll get right to the point," she said. "You all know why we're here, even if none have said it aloud. Allow me to be the first. Shinigami."

A murmur went through her fellow deities. Most of them blanched the color of sour milk. Arriesce waited until it subsided a bit before continuing.

"We must be in agreement before we call him to Gathering," she said. "Will all of you stand with me?"

Nothing. No one responded. While she couldn't blame them, not really, she was still disappointed.

"Need I remind you of why you're all here?" she demanded, trying not to sound too harsh. "He is out of control. Cruel, vindictive, spiteful, vicious, bad-tempered, and plain evil. He destroys everything he touches with malicious glee. How many of you have had your temples despoiled, desecrated? He has no respect for anything. He kills on a whim, laughing at the pain he leaves in his wake. How many of you has he completely undermined?"

More murmuring, but this time she could tell they were getting angry. That was good. Anger was better than cowardice.

"Shinigami is powerful," she continued, "but against the united power of the Divine, he will be helpless but to obey their will. They will listen to us. Unlike _him, _they are just and benevolent."

One by one, the gods before her rose until they were all standing. They still looked nervous, but they were determined now. Made brave by their numbers and her confidence. Wishing she felt half as confident as she acted, Arriesce nodded. "Then I will summon him."

The Gathering. The very word made the Lesser Deities tremble. It was a very formal affair, but a hugely intimidating one. The five Divine came into the hall, each with a vastly different carriage. Hiiroshino came first, as he always did. He always wore white and blue, tall and powerful. His keen eyes were like cobalt glass, seldom did his face show what he was feeling. He was widely revered as the wisest and strongest of the gods.

Warosche followed him, Hiiroshino's height exactly. He brought with him the feeling that he could accomplish anything. Known far and wide for his iron-clad sense of justice, he was also called The Arbiter. He always wore gold and red, presence just as powerful as Hiiroshino's and probably more forceful.

Toroshondre came next, swathed in mystery and silence. His hair always hung across one eye, lending well to the air of secrecy. He rarely ever spoke, but his words always carried great weight. It was believed he knew all before it ever happened, and his startlingly green eyes carried great knowledge.

Quanatrios followed Toroshondre. Smaller of stature than his three companions, he looked like a golden-haired angel. His eyes were always warm with kindness and benevolence, and he smiled easily. He was beloved of the mortals, and they most readily prayed to him for whatever troubles they wished alleviated.

Last came Shinigami. He swept in like an arctic chill, frigid enough to freeze blood in the veins. His eyes held the malicious delight of one who knows you are in pain and relishes the fact. He only ever wore black, a stark contrast to his pale skin. An oppressive silence followed his in his wake, and all the assembled Lessers slowly edged away from him.

The other four Divine moved to the head of the hall, seating themselves on four gilded thrones. The one in the middle stayed empty, and Shinigami paced to the center of the room to face his four peers. He wore a dark smirk, perfectly unconcerned.

"Well, well," he sneered. "A Gathering has been called to judge me." He cast his eyes over the Lesser deities. "I can hardly believe you had the courage. Do you have any idea what I'll do to you for this?"

"Shinigami," Hiiroshino said mildly.

It wasn't a threat. It was barely a rebuke. But to the Lessers' amazement, the God of Death fell silent with a scowl.

The God of Life rose from his seat, looking to the many Lessers. "We will begin as soon as She arrives."

They didn't wait long. She soon materialized directly in front of the fifth empty throne, right between the four Divine. She was taller than any of them, with a powerful presence easily dominating any room. With hair that fell to the floor, it shimmered with every color imaginable. Sometimes a solid color, sometimes all of them at once. Never ceasing, ever changing. Just like Her. She wore a gown of the purest white, and Her eyes were as colorless and colorful as Her hair. She was called Queen of Athros, Mother of All, and Goddess of the Universe.

"Welcome, all to the Gathering," she said. "Eons have passed since the last. I have been told you wish for judgement against Shinigami, God of Death. Choose one among you to speak on behalf of you all, and I will listen to your grievances."

Arriesce stepped forward. She felt so ill she could barely swallow against the dread souring her throat. But this had been her idea, so she'd been chosen to speak for them. It was the least she could do, especially if this Gathering accomplished nothing and brought the wrath of Shinigami down on them.

She desperately hoped not.

So she began as calmly and objectively as she could. She outlined his cruelty toward the Lessers. The way he so gleefully destroyed their followings on the mortal worlds. The way he killed mortals without a thought, taking such delight in their demise. He wrought havoc and chaos wherever he went, seeming to revel in pain, suffering, and despair. And that this had been going on for eons.

"Why have you waited so long to call a Gathering if you feel so wronged?" She asked, frowning slightly.

Arriesce flushed. "Because we are afraid of him, Mother of All," she said. "He is spiteful, and he would make us pay if this Gathering did not bring judgement upon him. We have been too afraid to ask for justice."

By the look Shinigami gave her when she finished, he still very much intended to make her pay. Arriesce felt like she might faint. Most ungodly.

"Shinigami," the Mother said, "what have you to say in your defense?"

He spread his hands, giving her a grin not so much dark and cruel as cheeky. Even a little impish. Not an expression Arriesce had ever seen on his dark, beautiful face.

"I am the God of Death, Mother," he said. "What am I, if not the bane of mortality? All mortals fear death, and in turn they fear me."

"Do you take them before their time?" She asked.

Shinigami shrugged, still grinning. "As I decide when it is their time, I would say not."

The Goddess of All rose from her throne. "I have heard you both," She said. "Arriesce, it is not your place to call a Gathering. Shinigami is a Divine deity. His power comes from the fabric of the universe itself. And he is correct when he says as God of Death he chooses when mortals die. That is his job."

Arriesce felt like a noose was tightening around her neck. Unlike the Divine deities, she was not invincible. She was quite capable of dying. And she had no doubt Shinigami would kill her. Eventually.

"However," She went on, her endless eyes focusing on Shinigami, "it is not _your_ place to toy with mortals. They were not created as entertainment for the gods, even the Divine five. You are to act as guardians and guides, and I have watched you lash out in spite against them many a time. Judgement will be passed on you, Shinigami. You are forthwith stripped of your godhood and banished to the mortal world Earth. There you will stay. I cannot turn one of the Divine mortal, but you will have no powers." In her hands appeared a golden cross on a heavy chain. "You will be imprisoned in the sacred mountain, immortal and unable to die, but absolutely powerless, until such time as you've learned a little humility."

The golden cross and chain vanished from her hands to reappear around Shinigami's neck. The Divine god looked stunned, eyes widening as far as they could. "You . . . you can't do this to me," he said, almost gasped, voice breathy and incredulous.

"It's done," She said. She blinked, and Shinigami disappeared. Turning Her attention once more to the Gathering, She let her displeasure show in Her stormy eyes. "This Gathering is adjourned. Shinigami may be powerless now, but I assure you if any of you seek him out with thoughts of retribution, my wrath will be swift and merciless. That is all." And She was gone.

Hiiroshino rose from his throne, face utterly expressionless. "I cannot believe you called a Gathering to complain about Shinigami," he said in a low, glacially cold voice. "You should have consulted us, the Divine four, first. You are all cowards." And with that, he swept from the room.

Warosche rose next, his ebony eyes carved from obsidian ice. "I agree with him. Next time, you will allow us to resolve this quietly? An unjustice has been served, and you are all to blame. Shinigami could easily have been brought under control by the four of us." And he strode from the room.

Toroshondre said nothing, but his single visible eye pierced every Lesser deity with extreme cold and displeasure.

Which left only Quanatrios. He rose slowly, facing the Lesser deities with a strange mixture of frustration, compassion, and anger. "I understand you were worried, afraid even. But Hiiroshino is right. The four of us could easily have brought him to task. Please, for your own sakes stay away from us for awhile. I don't want anything else to come of this."

When he left, an even heavier silence fell over the room. Arriesce felt like someone had carved her heart out and forced her to eat it. It could not have gone any worse.

The Lesser deities filed out, none so much as looking at her. She remained where she was, rooted to the spot, for a long, long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Drama

**Pairings:** 1x2 main, other

**Disclaimer:** Don't own nothin' but these words

**Warnings:** Yaoi, lemon, language, gross misuse of powers, reincarnation, evil Duo, cold Heero, Relena bashing (sort of), cruelty

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**The Demise of Death**

One day, he opened his eyes and found himself . . . here. He had no idea where here was, why he was here, or how he'd gotten here. In fact he had no idea of anything at all, beyond that his name was Duo and that he was not quite normal.

With no way to mark the passage of time, he had no idea how long he'd been here since he woke. It felt like forever, each day an endless eternity that dragged on and on. He'd tried countless times to break free of his prison, tried to call for help. But he pounded and dug at the walls until his hands bled, screamed until he coughed blood and the stone did not give way, no one heard.

There were many, many dreams. He could never quite remember them when he woke. But they filled him with longing though they always left him vaguely unsettled. They were like the rest of his life. Try as he might he could not quite remember them. The memories always flitted just out of reach, dangling and taunting him, but vanishing ever he got close.

It was frustrating. There were times when he threw his head back and screamed, sobbing in anger, loneliness, and despair. He didn't know what he'd done to wind up here, but he wished someone, _anyone_ would tell him his crime so he could tell them he was sorry and he wanted out.

How long . . . ? He was always hungry and thirsty, but he never died from starvation or dehydration. He always felt too cold but he never got hypothermia. Time passed, each day mindlessly blending with all the ones before. His only possession was the strange cross around his neck on its heavy chain that no matter how he tried he could not remove.

Closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the stone, Duo heaved a sigh. He felt like crying. Not from depression or self pity. Strangely, he didn't exactly feel sorry for himself. He was angry and tired. But tears accomplished nothing, including making him feel better. So he swallowed them and stared out through the natural landscaping that had provided this cell with bars. Near as he could tell this was a mountain, and only during the last minutes of the day could he ever see the sun.

_I want out. I want out. I want out, I want out I want out Iwantoutiwantout . . ._

Around and around in his head until he thought he might go mad.

**o0o 0o0**

"Come on, Yuy!"

Startled out of his thoughts, Heero Yuy looked up just in time to see a great hulk of a youth flying at him. With lightning reflexes he'd never had to work at, he sprang aside and hurled the football to his nearest teammate. His aim was a little off - the ball landed on the soft turf with no one near enough to catch it.

His friends gathered around him, huffing and looking annoyed. "What the hell was that?"

Alex, one of his best wide receivers on their team. He glared at their appointed quarterback. Heero Yuy shrugged minutely, running a hand through his hair.

"For a second, I . . ." he began. Then he stopped. What could he say? For a second, he'd heard an endless litany, a plea for release and freedom.

Just like he'd been hearing almost every day for several months now. It was driving him crazy. A silent voice in his head, chanting at him. He couldn't hear it so much as _feel_ it. His eyes drifted away from his friends, tracking over the university grounds.

Glewhyn University was one of the few academies on Earth that hosted both human and demon students. Most had either one or the other, though not because humans and demons did not get along. Mostly it was because they learned at different rates and found different things interesting. As such, it was the most prestigious university on the Western Hemisphere.

Heero belonged to a reclusive order known as Vale Priests. Renowned throughout the land for their strong purification abilities, they were called upon when demons suddenly turned on humans. Heero was barely a Vale Priest himself, taking the position when his adoptive father and mentor, Odin, died. Odin had been attacked by demons, mortally wounded. Heero had killed and purified the demons himself, though not in time to save the priest.

He closed his eyes momentarily. "I'm going," he said. He turned to leave the field.

"What? Hey!" Alex yelped. "You can't just go! What about our game? We're winning, Yuy!"

Heero said nothing more, no longer interested in the game. He could barely focus on anything. He was vaguely aware of one of his three best friends, Trowa, waving to the others as he jogged after Heero. He caught up easily and fell into step beside him.

"What?" he asked quietly.

He always spoke quietly. Heero pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can still hear it," he said by way of explanation.

By the look on his face, Trowa understood. "Have you talked to Quatre about it?" he asked.

"No. What good would that do?"

Trowa shrugged. "He's a seer. Maybe he could . . . tell you what it is. Why you're hearing it."

Sighing, Heero said nothing more as he returned to his dorm. Trowa followed, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed. Heero studied him for a moment. Then, "Go get him."

Nodding, Trowa rose and left. Heero grabbed his jacket off the chair and strapped on his thigh holster for his gun. It looked almost identical to a Glock .40, but it was far more powerful. A Glock could not kill a demon. This gun could. He almost felt bad about Trowa returning to find him gone, but not quite. He was tired of sitting still and doing nothing. He would find the source of that annoying voice.

And tell whoever it was to shut the fuck up.

**o0o 0o0**

Fingers clenched around the gold cross until Duo felt the cool metal break his skin. He hissed, releasing the cross to look at the small holes in his skin. Red. Crimson. It was nice. A nice change from the boring gray and brown of his surroundings. Even his clothes were a plain, boring dark brown. The bottoms of the pants were frayed and worn. The sleeveless shirt didn't fare much better.

Leaning back, he banged his head against the stone wall. Hard. So hard there was a sickening crack and his vision grayed out at the edges. He grimaced at the pain. Oooooookay, that was a bad idea. Raising a hand, he gingerly brushed the tender spot, relieved to find no blood. But it would probably be sore for a day or two . . .

Which was about as much as he had to look forward to. _Fuck I hate it here. I don't know where this is, but I hate it. I want out. I want out I WANT OUT!_

Leaning forward now, he dropped his hands to his lap and closed his eyes. His head fell to his chest, long hair forming a veil all around him. He used to keep it braided. Now it was tangled and dusty, and he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything. All he wanted was to step outside this cage. But the bars of stone were too close together, and though they were narrow they were deceptively solid. All he'd done was bruise, crack, rip, and break his knuckles trying to get free.

_I want out. I just want out. What did I do that was so terrible I can't go out?_

"Hey."

Duo's body gave a peculiar spasm, head jerking up at the sound of a voice. Something he'd not heard since waking here, and he no longer had any idea how long that had been. Years, for sure. It felt like a few hundred years. In fact it felt like a few hundred eternities.

But now, suddenly, inexplicably, there was someone standing on the other side of those nature-made bars, looking at him with an expression that hovered between surprised and pissed off. Eyes as cold and blue as cobalt glass. Golden-hued skin. Dark, unkempt hair that fit on him even though it was messy. He had a sutra around his neck and a gun on his thigh.

"Are you the one who's been calling me?" his unexpected visitor demanded.

Duo blinked. "Huh?"

"Shut up," the youth said.

Feeling completely frozen, Duo just stared up at him. He barely heard the words. There was someone here. He was stunned into motionlessness. The cobalt gaze on him was cold and hard for a moment, then it abruptly softened the slightest bit. He drew his gun from the thigh holster and aimed it at one of the stone bars. When he fired Duo heard the sound, but there was a slight ring to the explosion. The stone didn't shatter or anything like that. Instead it vanished.

Leaving a gap large enough for him to step through. The blue-eyed stranger took a step closer, sliding his gun back to its home and holding out one hand. "Come on," he said. "You might as well come with me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Drama

**Pairings:** 1x2 main, other

**Disclaimer:** Don't own nothin' but these words

**Warnings:** Yaoi, lemon, language, gross misuse of powers, reincarnation, evil Duo, cold Heero, Relena bashing (sort of), cruelty

**A/N:** Man, I owe you guys an update on this story. I've had a few requests on how to write this story, I will do my best. The plot will follow Saiyuki to some extent, but not exactly on every point. Anyway, enjoy!

Let's see. Demonskid, I believe this was your idea, so this chapter is dedicated to you!

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**Demons and Humans**

_"Ne, Hi-ro," he whined, tugging at the silk cord around his neck._

_Eyes the color of blue glass lifted from their task. "What?"_

_The tone was annoyed, tired, amused, and even a little tender. Strange that a single word could convey so much. He broke into a cheeky grin. "When are you gonna be done? I'm so bored. Aren't you done punishing me, yet?"_

_Hiro leaned down and gripped his hand, the one on the silk cord. "It depends. Have you learned your lesson, yet?"_

_His grin widened. "Yep. I will be more careful to make sure you're not around, next time."_

_Hiro raised an eyebrow. Hooking a finger underneath the loop around his neck, he tugged until his face was right next to Hiro's. "Then no, I'm not done punishing you, yet." He released him._

_Pouting, he fingered the blue cord. "What am I supposed to do? I'm so bored, Hi-ro."_

_"Sit at my feet like a good boy, and stop talking."_

_Before he could think about that rude order, he found himself sitting and closing his mouth. Surprised, he immediately opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. He couldn't utter a single sound. Eyes widening, he glared up at Hiro. Who watched him in evident amusement._

_"Better. You'll wait until I'm done. Then we'll discuss this again."_

_Folding his arms, he glared with all the force he could muster. Hiro completely ignored him, going back to his task. Whatever it was. Grinding his teeth, he once more tried to pull the silk cord off his neck. It was a narrow, flimsy cord, little more than a ribbon. Surely it would tear if he pulled hard enough. It didn't. And when he tried in earnest, a sudden bolt of hot pain flashed from his fingers through his entire body. Every muscle spasmed in surprise, his mouth opening in a shocked, silent cry. It passed, clearing his blurred vision. He found Hiro watching him again, this time looking smug._

_"I should have warned you that would happen, hn?"_

_Smug bastard, he thought savagely. None of the other Divine four treated him this way. As if he were a disobedient puppy. Scowling, he returned to his mute glaring. After awhile the glare lost its potency as he lost interest. Glaring was boring. Heaving a sigh, he scooted forward until he was practically sitting on Hiro's feet, dropping his head to rest on Hiro's thigh. A warm hand landed on his head, fingers threading through his hair, and he forgot why he was angry._

-

Duo jerked awake, startled out of sleep. For a moment disorientation muddled his brain. It cleared quickly, but it brought no clarity. He'd been dreaming. He remembered that much. But about . . . ? No idea. For some reason, he suspected it was about Heero. He thought he could remember seeing those cobalt eyes of his.

Heero. Duo's eyes slid shut again, allowing the image of the human to pop up behind his eyelids. Their journey down from the mountains to this place had taken several days. Heero hadn't spoken much during that time, but eventually Duo's pestering had worn him down until he revealed a little information.

He was a Vale Priest. Relatively new to his position, his purification powers had made him a natural choice. The sutra around his neck helped focus his powers, giving him something through which to channel them. A sort of buffer, Duo thought. His gun was a holy weapon, the human called it a 'banishing gun.' It was one of the few things that could kill a demon. Why, Duo had asked, would you want to kill a demon? Because, Heero had replied in a cold voice, sometimes demons did bad things.

If perfectly honest with himself, Duo was afraid of Heero. The human was so incredibly intense. A look from him could freeze Duo in his tracks, killing all the words on his tongue and stopping his heart. But he was so deliriously grateful to the human for freeing him he couldn't fixate on his fear. He wanted to find some way to repay him, and at the moment the only thing he could think of was attempting to make himself useful to Heero.

Rolling out of bed, he padded to the window and peered out. Not quite dawn. The sky was cold and gray, just beginning to lighten from the grip of darkness. Sighing, knowing he wouldn't get anymore sleep, Duo pulled a robe around his thin shoulders and padded out of his room. He was halfway down the stairs to the kitchens when he realized he was barefoot---and his feet were freezing. Too hungry to go back for slippers now, he continued on his way through the halls.

This place, Heero had told him, was called a Vale Tower. Vale Priests and their acolytes gathered here, as well as those devoted to the religions the Vale Priests followed. Further, there were only five Vale Towers on Earth, and each had one Vale Priest. Duo had smiled brightly at that knowledge, knowing it meant Heero was special. Heero didn't seem overly religious to him, but he supposed each person had their own way of expressing their spirituality.

The kitchens were just coming alive, so the activity was minimal. The head cook was there, the makings of breakfast spread out. Duo trotted to her side, curiously watching her knead dough that smelled faintly of cinnamon. He took a deep, appreciative breath. She glanced down at him---almost everyone he'd met in the Tower was taller than him by a fair bit.

"G'mornin', sweetheart," she cooed. "Hungry? 'S so early in the mornin', why ain't you still abed?"

Duo touched a finger to his lips, once more trying to conjure the dream. Nothing. "I couldn't sleep anymore," he replied honestly, turning his eyes on her, wide and hopeful.

"Oh, honeylamb, lookin' at me like that an' I'd prob'ly consent to a'sellin' ma soul." She reached to a plate of finished sticky buns and handed him one, dripping with orange glaze.

Duo eagerly accepted, sinking his teeth into the pastry and closing his eyes as bliss broke over his tongue. The flavors were so light, so deliciously sweet. He polished it off and licked his fingers clean, once more giving her that hopeful look. She seemed particularly susceptible. Success. She stopped her kneading to give him her full attention. From the pots on the stoves she heaped a plate with eggs, sausages, muffins, and crisp bacon. She also gave him a bowl of fresh fruit and two more of her sticky buns, as well as a tall glass of milk. She pushed him to one of the low wooden tables and set it down.

"There, now eat to your li'l heart's content. If you want more, let me know, lamb."

"Thank you!" Duo chirped, plunking himself down and attacking it.

The cook chuckled and went back to her task. She was done with the dough and set it out to rise and was making more buns when Duo finished. He took his plates to the big sink and came back to her side, turning that pleading look on her again. She laughed, and this time gave him a deep bowl of porridge and three slices of thick, dark bread smeared with blackberry jam. The porridge was sweetened with honey and cinnamon, and it was delicious. He finished this off, too, and faithfully came back to her side.

"Oh, away wi' you, little devil!" she laughed, handing him two more orange sticky buns and pushing him out of the kitchen.

Duo happily munched as he made his way back down the halls and to the back doors.

The Vale Tower's front was dominated by tall walls and a somewhat austere front. The back, however, opened into a traditional Japanese (Heero had told him that) garden. It was beautiful, and Duo loved it. As he finished licking his fingers clean, he stepped into the garden and flopped down amidst opening flowers to watch the sun rise.

Almost by reflex his hand stole up and clasped the gold cross around his neck. He had no idea where he'd gotten the thing, but no matter what he tried he could not take it off. As time passed in that mountain cell he'd grown accustomed to it, even found it comforting. Now that he was free and could therefore devote his attention to other things, he was curious about it. He resolved to ask Heero about it when the human appeared next. Heero got extremely pissy if people woke him before he got up, and Duo was not that brave.

He sighed. He loved this Vale Tower. Especially the garden. He loved being able to stare up at the open sky. He loved being able to eat if he wanted, walk around if he wanted, talk to people if he wanted, go outside these walls if he wanted. Closing his eyes, feeling laughter bubble up inside him for no reason, he rolled around on the soft turf, inhaling the sweet scents all around.

"Here, what are you doing?" came a gentle voice.

Duo stopped and looked up at the kindly-faced groundskeeper. The man was old, a little bent. Care for the garden fell largely to him, and Duo knew the man loved the job. He'd asked him. He asked people anything and everything that crossed his mind.

"I'm waiting for the sun to rise," Duo told him. "Want to watch it with me?"

The man chuckled. "If I laid down like that, young one, I'd never get back up again."

Duo propped himself up on his elbows. "I would help you," he offered, thinking it a sound proposal.

"Ah, if only 't were that easy. Why don't you run upstairs and roust your keeper? He is needed."

"By?" Duo inquired, hauling himself up.

"Tell him in the Seeing Room."

"The Seeing Room?" Duo asked, hoping to hear a nice long story about such a strange name.

The groundskeeper chuckled again. "Curious as a kitten, you are. Go tell him, and perhaps he will explain on the way."

"Kay!" Duo chirped, bounding back into the Tower, hearing warm laughter follow him.

He forgot about how bad Heero's temper was as he threw open the door and flung himself bodily at the bed. He glomped the lump beneath the covers with both arms and legs. It felt nice to be so close to someone after so long alone.

"Hee-ro!" he sang. "The old man tol' me you were wanted!"

A sudden movement and Duo was staring up at Heero from the floor, not quite sure how he'd wound up there. Cold blue eyes gazed down at him, not even having to glare to get across his displeasure. Duo shrank in on himself a little, confidence wilting. He swallowed and resolutely continued.

"He did," he tried. "He said you were wanted in the Seeing Room."

Heero's expression didn't change, but he did look away from Duo's face. He raked fingers through his disheveled hair---which helped not at all---and sighed. "I was wondering when they'd call," he muttered. "Duo, get off the floor and bring me breakfast."

"Kay!" Duo agreed brightly, jumping up and hustling to obey. He wasn't off-put by Heero's terse order. He knew Heero was secretly a kind person. Why else would he have freed him from that prison? Sometimes, Heero was gruff and bad-tempered. But sometimes he spoke gently to Duo, and he never yelled or hurt him.

The head cook looked amused to see him again, and he quickly told her Heero was ready for breakfast. She gave him a tray with enough food for one. At Duo's pleading look she laughed and included enough for a second person. Beaming at her, Duo trotted back to Heero's room and happily ate a second breakfast with Heero. The human didn't speak, seeming preoccupied and . . . perhaps a little worried.

However, when he finished eating, Heero forbade Duo from following him to the Seeing Room. "Someone is waiting to speak with me," he said in a tone that brooked no argument, "_alone_."

Wondering if his pleading look would work on Heero, Duo tried out his hopeful eyes. Heero merely raised an eyebrow. Giving up, Duo collected their dishes and made his forlorn way back to the kitchen. Then he brightened. If he couldn't join Heero for the actual talk, perhaps he could be persuaded afterward to tell Duo what it had been about. Good mood restored, he trotted back into the garden to wait until Heero reappeared.

He spent the remaining time amusing himself with wondering what the meeting could be about.


	4. Chapter 4

**Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Drama

**Pairings:** 1x2 main, other

**Disclaimer:** Don't own nothin' but these words

**Warnings:** Yaoi, lemon, language, gross misuse of powers, reincarnation, evil Duo, cold Heero, Relena bashing (sort of), cruelty

**A/N: **Did you notice it's been almost a year since I posted a chapter for this story?

* * *

**The Seeing Room**

_Probably for the millionth time, he guiltily started out of his chair when the door opened and Hiro strode into the darkened room. The only light source was an enormous bowl in the center of the floor, glowing a pale sickly green._

_"Shin, what are you doing? Get away from there."_

_Knowing a display of temper would only anger the God of Life, he obeyed and stepped away from the Pool of Ages. Once, it had been an actual pool. Deep and cool and dark in the tangled and dense jungles of Athros. A few millennia ago he'd drained it into the magical containment vessel where it now lay and brought it back with him. He was the God of Death. It was his right._

_"I'm just tending to the Ebb."_

_"You're doing more than that," Hiro snapped. He grabbed Shinigami's chin in his hand and shook gently. "What must I do to make you obey me? Put a collar on you and tie the leash to my belt?"_

_Shinigami's first thought was how appealing that sounded, and how inappropriate a reaction that was. He licked his lips. "I don't disobey you."_

_The faintest, _faintest_ hint of a smile crossed Hiro's lips. "You disobey every moment of every day. Whatever am I going to do with you?" He released Shinigami and moved to the Pool. "You're drawing mortals into the Ebb again, aren't you?"_

_Shinigami sniffed. "That's what I do. And those people were all headed into a high mountain pass where the snow would have avalanched. They'd all have died anyway."_

_"And taking them from the Flow has nothing to do with the fact that they worship Daydre?"_

_It would have been easy to lie. Hiro might even have let it slip. But that wasn't in Shinigami's nature. He gave the other Divine god a savage grin of pleasure. "Of course. Why would anyone worship that weak fool? I'm doing everyone a favor, Daydre included. She actually had the _gall_ to suggest to her followers that _she_ is the Goddess of Life. There's only one deity of Life, and it's _you_!"_

_Hiro blinked, looking a little surprised. Then it passed. "I believe I've told you on multiple occasions that you may not steal from the Flow either for me or in my name. It seems I will have to punish you. Again."_

_Shinigami shrank back. Hiro's punishments were always . . . inventive. And painful. He was the only one of the other Divine who treated Shinigami like this. Punished him like a misbehaving child when he was, in fact, Hiro's counterpart and equal in every way. They completed each other. The beginning and the end. The Ebb and Flow. It was perhaps why Shinigami loved Hiro so much. And why he continued to submit._

_Before he could blink they were in one of Hiro's private chambers. This one looked like a meadow contained in a small space. Hiro gave him something like a smirk. "Disrobe, Shin, and get down on your hands and knees."_

_Already trembling, Shinigami obeyed. "I'm sorry," he blurted, not sure whether he was more excited or frightened._

_Hiro dipped his hand into a stream of light running through the floor. "I know you are," Hiro soothed. He turned his wrist and the glittering light cascaded down on Shinigami's back and shoulders._

_It hurt. It hurt so terribly. Yet it felt so strangely good. The light of the Flow should never touch Death, but when it did Shinigami couldn't help tremble and shiver under the bizarre and intense combination of sensations. He knew why Hiro did this to him. To remind him that life was powerful and incredible and beautiful. That the Flow was just as important as the inevitable Ebb. After all, Death would not exist without Life. Shinigami wouldn't exist without Hiro. His skin felt hot and cold, his heart raced, every nerve ending screamed with the overload of pain and pleasure. _

_"I don't like hurting you," Hiro's voice poured over his senses, just like the light of Life poured over his skin. "Why do you continue to defy me?"_

_Because when I do, Shinigami thought, beginning to feel weak, you turn all your attention on me. And because it was fun. His arms abruptly buckled, dumping him face-first onto the soft green. His muscles spasmed, the light of Life pouring into places of him where it felt altogether too intense._

_Then, suddenly, it was gone. The sensation, the light. Hiro gathered him into his strong arms, holding him close and rocking a little. "It's over," the Divine deity murmured, lips brushing over Shinigami's temple. "I'm done, Shin. Shh . . ."_

_Eventually his trembling stopped. He felt weak as a newborn kitten. This moment, this precise moment was exactly why Shinigami kept defying Hiro and pushing his luck. Because Hiro ignored the entire universe in these moments and only held Shinigami. Rocking him, murmuring soothingly, softly kissing his brow. Tender and apologetic and gentle. As if comforting his counterpart were the most important thing. As though _Shinigami_ were the most important thing to him._

_"Don't do this anymore, Shin," Hiro's voice slithered across his senses. "Promise me you won't."_

_Shinigami made a quiet, unintelligible sound. He wouldn't make that promise because he already knew he wouldn't keep it. How else would he draw Hiro's attention and keep it? Perhaps Hiro knew this, because he didn't demand an answer. In fact he said nothing more at all, merely sighed faintly and drew Shinigami a little closer._

_Perhaps he knew why Shinigami did it, after all._

**o0o 0o0**

Heero closed and locked the door of the Seeing Room and strode into its center. The walls to the sides and back were all formed of a dull gray stone, but the entire wall directly ahead was covered in shining glass. It reflected everything in the room except Heero. When he'd first set foot in this room, it had been quite unnerving. Now he was used to it.

"I've come as you've asked," he said. "What is your will?"

The glass rippled and shifted, rather like water cascading down. Soon three faces appeared, each one a little blurred around the edges, giving them an unearthly appearance.

Apropos, since they were all three gods.

"Thank you for coming so promptly, Heero," said the woman in the middle. Her hair was as silver as the glass. "It is time you returned to Glewhyn University."

Heero blinked. "Why?"

The bluntness of the question seemed to momentarily ruffle them. The woman to the far left recovered first. "Though your education is mostly complete, we would like you to return there and fetch a specific item. It's a relic that the Head Master has kept safe for many years now. Your mentor should have told you of them. The five Aligning Stones?"

"Yes," Heero said, "but he called them the five Wisdoms."

"They are one and the same," the goddess confirmed. "We need you to find the other four Wisdoms. They were lost at some point in history, shortly after the Divine Deities disappeared from Athros. The Wisdoms are necessary for aligning the energies of the world. It has been far, far too long since any Vale Priest performed this duty, and because of it demons and humans are beginning to separate. This cannot happen. We would like you to collect the five Wisdoms and carry them safely to the Heart of the World. You will see a great seal. Place the Wisdoms at their corresponding places in the seal, and the world will align itself once more."

That sounded simple enough, but Heero suspected there was more.

"There is more," the goddess in the center said. "The great seal has been corrupted by a great evil. You must find a way to purify it before you place the Wisdoms in it or the Wisdoms themselves will be corrupted and instead of aligning the world, they will misalign it permanently."

"How do I purify the seal?"

A pause. "We don't know," the god on the far right finally admitted. "We didn't even know it could become corrupted."

Heero tried not to sigh. "Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

"When you collect the Wisdoms," the middle goddess said, "place them in special sealing jars so their power doesn't attract the ilk currently wandering Earth."

"I will," he said, inclining his head. When it became clear they had nothing else, he shifted. "If I may, a question?"

"Certainly," the middle goddess said, nodding.

"You're aware of the boy I found? Sealed in the sacred mountain?"

Another pause, shorter this time. "Yes," the god said. "We . . . I'm afraid we can't offer much insight, Heero. About five-hundred years ago there was a terrible unrest in Athros, and so much changed that most aren't even aware any longer what happened. Though it's clear the boy is unique, we don't know who or what he is. I can tell you one thing, though. That gold pendant he wears isn't decorative. It's a powerful seal, locking away his power. I honestly don't know what would happen if it was broken or removed."

Gods, Heero thought with a measure of disdain, lost their mystique when they couldn't keep track of their own history. It was very . . . mortal of them. "I will do as you ask," he said again, inclining his head. The mirrors all went blank. Sighing in equal parts irritation and frustration, Heero stalked out of the Seeing Room.

As he passed through the corridors, he nearly trampled Duo. The boy yelped and leaped backward, then straightened with a grin.

"Heero!" he chirped. "I was just coming to look for you. You're done?"

"Yes," Heero said shortly, stepping around him and heading for his room. "Go tell the cook to prepare travel provisions, Duo. We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"We?" Duo repeated, sounding a little nervous. "You and me?" A little hopeful, a little wary.

"Yes, _baka_," Heero replied. "Hurry up."

"Kay!" The boy immediately scampered off.

Back in his room, Heero began folding up his clothes and putting them into his travel case. If he was to set out on a mission of this importance, he didn't plan to go alone. His three friends, whom he'd left behind months ago, would be coming with him. He knew he would need their skills and their power.

Chang Wufei was a master fighter with any weapon, any style. He was a powerful demon, and therefore highly resistant to demonic magic.

Trowa Barton had an incredibly potent power of persuasion. He was a master infiltrator, capable of making others believe almost anything. Like Chang he was a demon.

Quatre Winner was a human only a year younger than Heero, and he'd honed the power of his spirit into a great weapon. He was also a keen empath, and it was impossible to lie to him.

And Duo. Duo, who seemed to have no special skills other than eating enough to make ten grown men stare in awe. And talking. He loved to talk. He loved to listen to others talk. About anything. Everything. He was very, very cute and never seemed to take Heero's intensity or his temper personally. And supposedly, the gold cross he wore locked away his power. A power so great it made even the gods feel afraid.

_What is he? Who is he?_ Duo had told him he didn't know how long he'd been locked in the sacred mountain. Obviously he wasn't human. So then what was he? A demon? _I don't think so. Demons are powerful, but not enough to make the gods wary. Could he be a demi god of some sort? Perhaps banished from the heavens for some reason? During that time of unrest?_ Duo didn't look more than about sixteen, but the boy insisted he'd been locked away for far, far longer than a few years. He said he'd counted the sun rising and setting well over ten thousand times before finally losing count and interest.

Reaching into his bedside drawer, he drew out his banishing gun. With great efficiency he disassembled it and began cleaning the individual components. Though the gun didn't shoot bullets, he found the act of cleaning it relaxing. When he finished he put it back together and tucked it back inside its special holster. It was around this time that Duo came back, trotting into the room and throwing himself down on the bed.

"I didn't know how long we'd be gone, so I told the cook to just pack up everything in the kitchen. Just in case."

The words startled a soft snort of amusement out of Heero. It made Duo look at him with a bright little grin.

"Can you tell me about the Seeing Room now?" he asked. "What is it?"

There was no valid reason not to. The gods had never forbidden him from speaking of it to others. "It's where I commune with the gods."

"Really!" Duo exclaimed, rolling onto his side. "Do they ask you to do things for them?"

"Yes."

"Is that why we're leaving in the morning?"

"Yes."

"What did they tell you we have to do?"

"Find something."

"Naa, Heero," Duo whined, "are we ever gonna have a conversation where I don't have to drag everything out of you?"

Heero just looked down at him. _Why couldn't I just free you and leave you on the mountain? _He had no idea what it was about Duo that he couldn't leave him alone. He just felt, somewhere deep down, that he should never leave Duo behind. That if he ever allowed that to happen . . . it would mean the end of something. And that terrified him on a level he doubted he'd ever be able to define.


	5. Chapter 5

**Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Drama

**Pairings:** 1x2 main, other

**Disclaimer:** Don't own nothin' but these words

**Warnings:** Yaoi, lemon, language, gross misuse of powers, reincarnation, evil Duo, cold Heero, Relena bashing (sort of), cruelty

**A/N: **Zzzzzzzzzzz . . .

* * *

**The Wisdoms**

_Shinigami appeared in the middle of the room in a swarm of shadow that billowed outward from him almost like a cloak, coiling around everything it encountered. Like icy fingers snaking up from a grave. His smile was death itself, his eyes black pits of malicious glee._

_"Well, well," he murmured as the shadows spread over every wall, "what have we here?"_

_They tried to escape. After a moment of unmoving horror, their instincts kicked in and they tried to escape. Once the shadow encompassed the entire room, however, they were in Shinigami's domain. No one could enter or leave here without his permission. His grin stretched wider, just like the frozen rictus of a grin on the face of a skull._

_"Daydre," he purred. "Haven't you been receiving and understanding my warnings?"_

_She swallowed so thickly he could see her throat move. "Shinigami," she croaked. "What . . . uh, why are you here?"_

_The grin relaxed into something softer. "Because after all," he purred, "you are the goddess of Life. Every deity of life needs an equal counterpart. A deity of Death. Elsewise they would be incomplete."_

_The Lesser deity took a step backward._

_Shinigami took a step forward. "But we aren't equal, are we?"_

_Another step. He matched her again._

_"You are just an immortal with a little power."_

_Another step. Again to match her._

_"I've been waiting for this day for quite a long time," Shinigami said as finally she could back up no further. The shadow coiled around her arms. "The day when you gathered all your cult leaders. All the pathetic humans who recruit new members. Who secretly teach your dogma. Who form your secret temples." He reached out and ran a finger down her jaw. "The day I destroy you all at once."_

_"Please!" she nearly shrieked, voice shrill and cracking. "I haven't done anything wrong! Just leave us and go! We create our own religions on Earth all the time!"_

_"Yes," Shinigami agreed, taking a single step back, "but you've done more than that, haven't you? You've tried to supplant Hiro. You are not the Goddess of Life, Daydre. You're not even a goddess." He lifted his hands, and the shadows began to swarm. "You're a worm." Tendrils lashed out and coiled around the necks of her human followers. "And today, you'll die like one."_

_As one the humans crumpled, heads rolling away from shoulders to vanish into shadow. Shinigami laughed as the light of the Ebb began to glow from the inside of his skin. He knew it would make him look absolutely terrifying to the Lesser deity. Daydre screamed and whirled, clawing at the walls of shadow._

_"That's right, worm!" he sneered. "Wriggle like the maggot you are! Do you understand the difference between you and him, Daydre? He is powerful and magnificent, my equal in every way."_

_"Yes!" she gasped, turning enormous, frightened eyes on him. "Yes, I understand! I'm nothing! Please, please Shinigami, spare me! Show mercy!"_

_That terrible, frozen grin came back. "Mercy? When has Death ever shown mercy?"_

_As he lifted a hand to end her life, he felt the first pulse of power outside of his shadow walls. He recognized Hiro at once, and a delicious shiver coursed down his spine. The god of Life would be furious. What will he do to me, Shinigami wondered. The second Daydre's grating screams stopped, he lowered the walls and Hiro appeared. Light devoured darkness, and as always Shinigami allowed it. Those blazing blue eyes burned into his, and he met that powerful gaze with an impish grin._

_"What's going on, Shin?" Hiro demanded._

_"Nothing," Shinigami said, all innocence. "Pest control."_

_Hiro's eyes narrowed. "I thought I forbade you from destroying the Lesser deities."_

_Unrepentant, Shinigami shrugged, grin undiminished. "So you did."_

_Hiro strode forward and gripped Shinigami's chin in one hand, squeezing until Shinigami yelped and tried to back away. The God of Life didn't allow it. "I'll make sure you don't forget this time, Shin. Come."_

_Trembling from head to foot, Shinigami obeyed without resistance. This was what he lived for. To have those incredible eyes on him. Even if Hiro hurt him, even if it hurt until he was half mad from pain, it meant Hiro would hold him and comfort him after. Perhaps one day the comfort would extend into something more._

_When will you finally realize that I am so madly, desperately in love with you?_

**o0o 0o0**

Duo tried to smother his sigh. "Ne, Hee-ro, how long will we be waiting like this? I'm really bored."

For the last half hour, Heero had been sitting without moving on his chair, eyes unfocused and distant. A distracted Heero was a gentler one, but Duo was so bored he wanted to cry. Heero, who'd been resting his chin in his hand, lowered his arm and looked over at Duo.

"Not much longer, probably," he said. "You don't have to wait here, I already told you."

Duo shifted and squirmed on his chair. "But this place is huge, and I don't know anyone," he explained. After having been cooped up in such a tiny space, big open places made him inexplicably nervous.

"Then don't complain," Heero said, sounding distracted.

As Duo tried to think of some way to protest without complaining, the door opened. In strode an old human with more wrinkles than Duo had ever seen. His eyes were bright, though, and he wasn't hunched over. Heero rose, offering a hand. "Head Master."

The old man shook Heero's hand. "Welcome back." He glanced over at Duo. "I trust you found what you were looking for?"

Heero made a strange face, sort of like a smirk mixed with a wince. "Yeah. I returned to the Vale Tower for a short while, and I was contacted by three guardian deities."

"Yes, I was beginning to sense some sort of change," the old man said. "The time has finally come to gather the Wisdoms, am I correct?"

"Yes," Heero confirmed.

Duo watched with burning curiosity. The Wisdoms? Guardian deities? It all sounded terribly exciting and important.

The old man drew in a deep breath, and when he expelled it he seemed relieved. "It has been a great burden for me to bear, and I confess I'm grateful to pass it along to someone younger and stronger than I. The Wisdom has been in a special sealing jar for many years now, its power concealed by the old magic. You should not remove it until you're ready to use it."

Heero merely nodded.

The old man looked at Duo and stepped toward him. "You, I haven't met. What's your name, child?"

"Duo," he chirped, giving him a grin. "Heero found me and saved me."

"Saved you, eh? This is an interesting thing. Do you mind if I look at it?" He gestured to the golden cross around Duo's neck.

"I don't mind," Duo said, lifting it off his chest, "but I can't take it off. I've tried. No matter what I do."

The old man ran his fingers over the cross, frowning a bit. "This is quite a strange thing. Unless I'm entirely mistaken, it's very old. How did you come to possess it, Duo?"

Duo shrugged. "I dunno. I've had it ever since I woke up in the mountain. Before that, I don't remember anything. Then Heero found me and freed me."

The explanation seemed to confuse the old man. "I see. Well, I believe it's been imbued with some sort of sealing magic." He released it. "Heero, do you know what it is? You're far better at detecting magical properties than I."

Heero didn't answer, just looked at the old man.

"Ah, no matter. You two wait here, I'll fetch the Wisdom. The guardian deities told you what to do with them?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I'll return shortly."

Another wait. Duo sighed. Then he brightened. "What are the guardian deities? And what are the Wisdoms?"

Heero retook his seat. "They're the ones with whom I spoke in the Seeing Room."

"Oh! Then the thing they told you to find, it's the Wisdom?"

"Yes. There are five of them."

"What are they?"

Heero's gaze went unfocused again. "They're also called the Aligning Stones. They align the energies of the world."

Duo plopped down. "Really? That sounds amazing. What does it mean?"

It was Heero's turn to sigh. "Different kinds of energy swirl through our world. They flow in set directions. When they do, all is as it should be. But when the flow is disrupted, the energies begin flowing in different directions that eventually harm the world and its inhabitants. The Wisdoms restore the proper flow."

For a moment Duo tried to think of any other time when Heero had said so much to him all at once. He couldn't think of one. "That sounds really amazing. That's what you're going to do?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll help!" he exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. "You just tell me whenever you need help, and I'll do it!"

The look Heero gave him seemed vaguely amused, and Duo grinned. Heero had very few facial expressions, so to see anything on his handsome face was wonderful. He really hoped he'd be able to see the older youth smile soon.

It wasn't long before the old man returned, holding a red glass jar not much bigger than Duo's palm. It had a plain cork and no embellishment. Still, the color was pretty. He extended it.

"This is the Wisdom of the East," he said (making no sense to Duo, but he didn't comment).

Duo snatched it, and the second he did he froze, caught completely off-guard by the rush of sensation.

Cold. Hot. Power. Pain. Captivity. Wrong. Right. Flying. Standing. Moving. He could _feel_ the presence of a powerful something inside the jar, and it reacted strongly to him. It tugged at dormant places in his mind until he felt he could _almost_ remember things. A voice. A touch. A color. A place far, far from here. And pulsing through it all, a great and terrible energy storming through life in all the wrong directions.

Heero was right. The energies of the world were wrong. Off. It was causing the birth of twisted and destructive monsters and the warping of demonic and human minds alike.

All of this raged through him in the time it took to blink. A strong hand pried the jar out of his numb fingers, and he looked up to find Heero kneeling beside him. _When did I end up on the floor?_ He was trembling so hard his body ached, and to his shock Heero gently gathered him to his chest and held him.

"Easy, Duo. Shh, just breathe. It'll get easier after a moment."

"Why did he react to the Wisdom?" the old man demanded, sounding shaken. "I thought only Vale Priests could feel them."

"Be quiet," Heero hissed. "Just leave us for awhile."

Then silence. Silence and warmth, folding softly around him. Gradually the tremors lessened and then ceased, and Duo found himself weak as a newborn babe. He managed to tilt his head back and peer up at Heero. When he tried to speak he found his throat too dry, so he licked his lips and swallowed thickly.

"What . . . was that?" he managed.

Heero brushed his bangs back. It felt wonderful. "My mentor calls it the Wisdom Storm. You were able to feel the flow of energy through the stone, even through the sealing jar. Normally only Vale Priests can do that."

Duo blinked. "Oh. What does that mean? Am I a Vale Priest?"

"No," Heero replied, and he smiled. It was a small smile, little more than a quirk of lips. But it briefly lit up his bright cobalt eyes. "It probably called out to whatever dormant power sleeps beneath this seal." He fingered the gold cross.

Duo closed his eyes and rested his head on Heero's chest. Cobalt. That color stirred those dim forgotten memories. It felt so familiar. Heero felt so familiar. _Maybe he reminds me of someone I knew, a long time ago? From before I was locked up in that mountain?_ He realized he was getting sleepy.

"Hey," Heero said, shaking him a little. "This isn't the best place to sleep. Let's go to my dorm."

Getting his feet under him took surprising effort, but Heero was patient and supported him. It felt like the longest walk ever, and when he collapsed onto the bed he fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Genre:** Fantasy/Romance/Drama

**Pairings:** 1x2 main, other

**Disclaimer:** Don't own nothin' but these words

**Warnings:** Yaoi, lemon, language, gross misuse of powers, reincarnation, evil Duo, cold Heero, Relena bashing (sort of), cruelty

**A/N: **I'm trying _so_ hard to be better about updating. Really, why the heck do I have so many stories? XD

* * *

**Fated Meeting**

_In the deepest, darkest part of night, Shinigami appeared. Shadow swirled out from the base of his robe, swallowing up every trace of light from the fading stars. His eyes looked like bottomless pits of darkness, not a hint of light reflected on their surfaces. Had any been present to witness it, they very well may have died of fright. He looked awful and terrible, every inch the God of Death. A new religion had sprung up. It would end tonight. A cult that worshiped a pathetic goddess of the sun. He made a derisive sound, looking at the shoddy church that had been built in her honor._

_"When will you pitiful mortals learn?" he said softly, holding out one hand. In his slim fingers appeared a scythe. Taller than him by probably a dozen inches or more, the blade was the same sickly green as the Ebbing Pool. An eerie color that gave off faint light but swallowed it as well. The blade was enormous, at its thickest as big around as Shinigami's waist._

_"Let darkness swallow the light," he whispered, swinging the scythe down in a graceful arc. "Let shadow consume the sun. Life and death, they are one, the Ebb and Flow trickle into each other. Hiro, when will you make me yours?"_

_Writhing tendrils of darkness crept up the brick and mortar of the ugly church until every surface was moving black. Grinning the frozen grin for which he was so famous, Shinigami drew up his cowl so the shadow swallowed his face, as well. Turning from the church, it was time to move on to the next one. Now, whoever set foot inside the condemned building would die._

_By the end of the night, Shinigami had marked almost one-thousand churches all over the world. He stood at the top of a high bluff and looked out over the sleeping world. Opening his mouth, he laughed. It was a frozen, heartless sound. Hiro, he thought, when will you make me yours?_

**o0o 0o0**

"Yuy, who is this?"

Heero nudged his three best friends into his room. It made it a touch crowded, even though as a Vale Priest he had one of the largest rooms in the university. He closed and locked the door behind them.

"You're gone for three months, and you come back with this adorable little boy," Quatre said with a small grin.

Heero rolled his eyes. "He's not a little boy. His name is Duo."

Duo himself, still sprawled bonelessly all over Heero's bed, hadn't stirred in over twelve hours. Even Heero had to admit, he looked sort of cute. All unguarded and . . . cute. He winced. _Did I really just think that?_

Chang Wufei knelt at the head of the bed, peering at Duo's face. "Hm. He's an unusual one, isn't he? Not a human, but he's not a demon either. Some sort of sealing device keeping his identity hidden away."

Quatre stepped up behind him and reached down, touching the gold cross. "This is it. It's almost exactly like a demon Inhibitor."

Trowa joined them in their scrutiny. "It seals his power and his true identity," he murmured, sounding rather like a man who'd been given a puzzle too mysterious to resist.

Unable to help it, Heero smiled. It was a very tiny smile. But these three men, among the most powerful people he'd ever known, puzzling over a boy was just . . . amusing.

Quatre abruptly rose and pushed the other two back. "We'll wake him up. Heero, has he told you anything about himself?"

Sighing, Heero sank into his desk chair. "Everything about him, which isn't much," he replied. "He has no memories."

"Where did you find him?" Wufei asked, moving to lean against the door.

"In the Sacred Mountain."

Quatre reacted first, looking quite startled. "The Sacred Mountain? It deters everyone from setting foot on its slopes."

"He was locked inside it," Heero said. "It looked like a cage made of the mountain itself. He has no idea how long he was locked in there, but according to how many times he counted the sun rising and setting, over thirty years. He thinks it was more like a few hundred years."

"Impossible," Wufei said decisively. "He looks like a little kid."

Heero didn't bother replying. Duo rather acted like a little kid, but he looked at least sixteen.

Quatre hovered over the sleeping conundrum. "He seems . . . I dunno. Familiar, almost. I know I've never seen him before, but . . . there's something about him."

"I agree," Trowa said at once. Not surprising, he almost always backed his lover.

But that they echoed what Heero himself had been thinking all along . . .

Wufei shouldered Quatre aside and reached down. "I want to meet him," he said as he gripped Duo's shoulder and shook.

Duo's reaction amused Heero greatly. His eyes fluttered open, but when he saw the unfamiliar faces he scrambled up and flung himself backward, plastering himself against the wall. He looked like a trapped deer with those big eyes of his all wide and startled. Then he saw Heero and practically threw himself off the bed, glomping Heero as if he were a lifeline.

"Hee-ro! You didn't tell me we'd have company!"

A strange, strange sensation fluttered through Heero's chest at being touched like this. Duo seemed just enough intimidated by him that he didn't touch the Vale Priest often, but each time he did the reaction grew stronger and stronger. He peeled Duo off him and introduced his three friends. Duo's eyes tracked each one in turn, then he broke into a sunny little grin.

"Hi! I'm Duo. Are you going to be helping us? Me an' Heero, we have something real important to do."

It distantly annoyed Heero that he wouldn't be able to broach the subject as he'd wanted, but it was pointless to cry over spilt milk. So when his friends gave him questioning looks, he sighed.

"The Head Master gave me the Wisdom of the East. I'm going to gather all five of them and take them to the Heart of the World."

None of them looked surprised. Wufei nodded after a moment. "Yes, any demon with my skill can sense the slow warping of demonic energy. Even I have had to be careful when removing my Inhibitor. I can feel that _wrongness_, lapping at the edge of my vision. Wanting to drag me down."

Heero nodded. "I believe for the time being, it's best the three of you leave your Inhibitors on, you included Quatre. Humans aren't immune to the wrongness any more than demons."

"When do we leave?" Trowa asked quietly.

"Not for awhile yet," Heero said. "There are a few things I need to see to, and Wufei, I have a favor to ask."

"Certainly."

"You're by far the best in combat. I'd like you to find a weapon Duo can wield with ease and train him to use it."

Wufei blinked. "Of course, but are you sure it's safe for little boys to swing sharp objects around?"

Duo drew himself up with an indignant, huffy expression. It was adorable. "I'm not a little boy!"

Heero ignored the outburst. "He's coming with us, and if he can't at least defend himself he'll be dead after our first encounter with resistance."

"Heero!" Duo whined.

Quatre reached over and cupped Duo's chin in his hand. "He's just thinking of you, kitten. As we gather the Wisdoms, demons and humans alike will begin to pursue us, wanting the stones for themselves."

Duo subsided, and Heero made a mental note. _He did that easily. I'll have to remember that for use in the future._ "I don't like useless things," he said, giving Duo a meaningful look. "Wufei, do you mind beginning now? I'll be back in a few hours."

"Sure," Wufei agreed with a shrug. "You coming, kid?"

Duo looked a little . . . hurt as he followed Wufei from the room.

"I'll go with them, maybe I can help," Trowa offered quietly and followed.

Leaving only Quatre. He gave Heero a disapproving look. "Somehow, I don't think you should be as cold with him as you are with everyone else. It's obvious he thinks the world of you. I'm sure it wouldn't kill you to offer him a little kindness."

Heero gazed after him as the human left, a little surprised. Quatre was the most even-tempered man he'd ever known, even something as mild as those words unlike him. But . . . he wasn't wrong, either. Heero had never been a warm individual, not once as long as he could remember. Calling those three men 'friends' was a stretch, because while he respected and trusted them, _liking_ them was probably not apropos.

He sighed. Really, what was it about Duo? Perhaps somewhere along this journey the answer would be made clear.

**o0o 0o0**

Duo stared at the weapons spread out on the velvet blanket in front of him. "I had no idea there were so many," he said at length. Only half of them he could name. The rest . . . completely foreign.

Wufei leaned down and lifted a sword with a long, slender blade and a double edge. "This is a katana," he said, "though I had it specially made. Normally the blade has one sharp edge and one flat. This one has been sharpened on both edges to suit my fighting style. It's my preferred weapon, because it is light and perfectly balanced, but nothing could break the blade. It's a powerful weapon." He took a few steps back and executed a beautiful slash-parry-thrust.

Duo watched, amazed. "You're so good," he murmured. "You made that look really easy."

"One of my gifts as a demon is the ability to fight with any weapon, and do it well," Wufei said. "Most people aren't as good as I. Now, for beginners I'll pair you up with a simple quarterstaff. No sharp edges to cut you." He lifted a black-lacquered staff.

Duo took it with a little pout. "But it's so boring."

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Don't underestimate its power. It's a multifunctional weapon, versatile and strong." He lifted another one and spun it in a blinding arc. "Many a blade has shattered on this shaft. It has a significant reach, which for you will be perfect. You can attack your opponent from enough of a distance to keep a solid defense."

Duo's stomach growled. "Naa, I'm hungry. Can we eat lunch soon?"

"When you master the first lesson, we will stop for lunch."

Duo blinked, then firmed his hold on the black staff. "All right. What is the first lesson?"

"Form and balance. You will never be a proficient fighter if you cannot find your inner balance."

Though in some ways Wufei was gentle, he was a relentless teacher. Every time Duo whined that his lessons were impossible, Wufei demonstrated with such grace and deadly skill it near blinded Duo. _He's so amazing. So strong and capable._ With every demonstration, Duo found himself wanting to focus a little harder and learn all the faster so he could make his teacher proud. So when after four hours he mastered Wufei's first lesson to the demon's satisfaction, it felt wonderful to hear the man say,

"Good work, Duo. When you put your mind to it, you're focused and learn very quickly. Most beginners can't master simple balance exercises for weeks."

Duo beamed at him, feeling fit to burst. "Thank you!" he sang, not even trying to resist the impulse to throw his arms around the man's neck and hug him. "You're a wonderful teacher."

There was a slight hesitation, then Wufei's arms came up around him to return the hug. "Yes, but you're also a good student. Give yourself a little credit."

Duo pulled back and grinned. "Okay! I'm _really_ hungry. Can we eat now?"

"Of course. Let me take you to the cafeteria."

It was only after he waved to Trowa that Duo realized the quiet demon had followed them and probably watched the entire training session. He bounded over to Trowa and hugged him, too.

"Were you watching? Why didn't you come join in?"

Trowa looked vaguely disgruntled. "A student shouldn't have two teachers," he replied. "We'd get in each others' way."

"Oh," Duo said, nodding. Yes, that did make sense. Then, "Wufei's a wonderful teacher."

That garnered a smile from the ebon-haired man. "Stop gushing, little _sahran_," he chided in a mild tone.

Linking his arm through both demons', Duo looked up at Wufei. "What does that mean?"

Wufei just looked ahead with a mysterious little smile, so Duo turned pleading eyes on Trowa. Who glanced down at him with something that _might_ have been a smile. For facial expressions, he wasn't a whole lot more versatile than Heero. His countenance in general, however, was gentler.

"It's a fond endearment of a teacher's for his pupil," he explained.

That made Duo feel all warm inside, and he briefly leaned his head against Wufei's arm. In the cafeteria Wufei told him to eat anything he wanted, and Duo happily followed the demon's lead and loaded up his tray with as much as would fit. Wufei and Trowa talked about classes and things, and Duo listened until it was time for seconds . . . then thirds . . . then fourths . . . when he went back a fifth time, a chuckling Wufei pulled him back into his seat.

"Don't go overboard, little _baka_. You'll make yourself sick."

"But Wufei~!" Duo whined. "In the mountain, I never once got to eat. I was in there for hundreds of years!"

"All right all right. Just pace yourself. You're not going to starve to death."

Duo pouted for a moment, then brightened. "Ne, can you tell me what the Wisdoms are? I mean, Heero told me they're Aligning Stones, capable of correcting the world's energies when they're flowing wrong. But what are they made of? Where did they come from? What gives them their power? Can anyone use them? Do they do anything else? Can they -"

"Easy, kiddo," Wufei interrupted with a soft snort. "How about one at a time, huh?" He sighed. "What are they made of. Well, I don't think anyone knows. It's the generally accepted theory that they came from the heavens, a gift from the gods. History tells us they weren't always around. They first appeared around five hundred years ago or so, and even though they're smooth and hard, no one knows exactly what the material is. Or what gives them their power. Probably it was the gods."

"Who can use them?" Duo asked.

"Vale Priests," Trowa inserted. "They receive training on how to locate and activate them."

Wufei nodded. "They can do a lot more than correct the flow of energy in the world. Individuals can use them if they take them out of their sealing jars. It amplifies the natural abilities of gifted humans and demons by a hundredfold. It's dangerous, however, and can cause burnout or death if used incorrectly."

Duo shuddered. "Heero said only Vale Priests can sense the Wisdom Storm?"

"Yes, that's correct. Vale Priests are capable of viewing the world in a different way. It's difficult to explain, it would be better if you asked Heero."

"When I touched the sealing jar," Duo said after a moment, "I sensed it. I could sense the energies of the world and how off they were."

Blinking, Wufei gave him a surprised look. "You could? Hm. That's extremely unusual. What did it feel like?"

For a moment, Duo just sat still and remembered the sensations. He shivered. "It . . . I didn't like it. It was intense and painful and it felt like a lot of pressure inside my head. I was completely exhausted afterward."

"I'm not surprised," Wufei said. "No one could be unaffected by it. I've only ever heard descriptions, and that's enough to convince me I wouldn't want to experience it."

"Would you use the Wisdom?" Duo asked, tilting his head to the side. "You seem like you're really powerful."

Wufei gave him a grin that exposed his sharp canines. "Yes, I would use it if I could get my hands on it. And I'd specifically use the Wisdom of the East."

"Really? Why?"

"Each Wisdom represents something different," Trowa interjected here, "in addition to the simple direction of its name. The Wisdom of the West, for example, is the Wisdom of Knowledge."

"The Wisdom of the East," Wufei picked up with a savage smile, "is the Wisdom of Power. Also called the Wisdom of the Sword."

Duo nodded. "Mm. It would suit you. Is there a Wisdom that can give you all the food you want? That's the Wisdom I would use."

Wufei snorted. "You're a silly boy. Well, are you done eating? We should begin our next lesson."

As he followed the demon back out to the training grounds, Duo found himself missing Heero. He tried to put it aside and focus on Wufei's teaching. In his way, Wufei was every bit as amazing as Heero.


End file.
